Never forget the lessons of Feb. 28

By Wang Mei-hsiu王美琇

Taiwan is currently the world's 16th largest trading nation, and a world-famous maker of computer and IT hardware. It is a wealthy nation with a per capita income of US$13,000, a nation worthy of respect, always taking international responsibility and showing humanitarian care. But despite this, we are still refused UN membership. We cannot help but wonder: Where is the justice of the UN? Is there any reason for the continued existence of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Or does the UN only listen to the US, China and the other powers on the Security Council, while locking justice and human rights away in a drawer?

As God is our witness, we swear on the souls of our ancestors that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country, and that the Taiwanese people are one of the peoples around the world caring most for democracy and freedom. Despite the flouting of justice and of the declaration of human rights, despite the spirit of the US' founding ideals of freedom and justice sometimes being followed and sometimes forgotten, despite the world's democracies often sacrificing justice to the power of the Chinese Communist Party, and despite Taiwan's wish to become an independent nation being ignored by the world, we will continue to make our weak but clear call heard in the international community.

As God is our witness, we swear on the souls of our ancestors that although Taiwan is not a very large country in terms of population and territorial area, it is our home, our only motherland, the place to which our hearts will always return, and the place where the souls of our ancestors rest peacefully. We were born here, grow up here, and our family, friends and loved ones all live together on this land. The trees and the grass, the local traditions and the eternal spring all carry the traces of our common presence. On this land, we share a common history and memory, a common life experience, and a dream and hope for the future. We deeply love this land which has nurtured us, and we deeply love our country.

We will give our lives, and we will do anything in our power, to defend our country, defend our land and our people, our democracy and freedom, our current way of life and our right to be a free people with free lives. We will never allow anyone to invade our country, take away our democracy and freedom, and destroy the warmth of our home, because this will always be our home and our land to be passed on to future generations.

This pledge will be passed from one year to the next, and from generation to generation. This pledge will spread from the soaring heights of Taiwan's highest mountain to the most beautiful of distant shores around the world, from every city around the world to every simple little village. We will never desist, until Taiwan becomes a truly free and independent country, free from the interference of strong powers. We will never desist, until the world pays heed to Taiwan's weak but clear voice!

As God is our witness, we make this solemn pledge on the souls of our ancestors.